Farrow & Ball Pavilion Blue 252

Farrow & Ball Pavilion Blue 252

"Swedish winters are long and dark, and anything that brings more light into the house — pale paint, chalky-white furniture, sparkling crystal — is embraced. This is the quintessential Swedish blue — very light and ethereal, as if you're floating in a cloud. A high concentration of mineral pigments reflects more light, so the blue feels layered and translucent, as if it's not a solid color at all." —Rhonda Eleish

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Sherwin-Williams Only Natural SW 7596

Sherwin-Williams Only Natural SW 7596

"I love Swedish style, but I like it mixed with more modern furniture to give it a twist. And the walls would be the color of bleached oak — a warm white with a blush to it. Then I'd add a little contrast with blackish gray or smoky mauve fabrics and an abaca rug. Whether you see it in candlelight, firelight, or daylight, the room would be radiant." —Tori Golub

Farrow & Ball Pavilion Blue 252

"Swedish winters are long and dark, and anything that brings more light into the house — pale paint, chalky-white furniture, sparkling crystal — is embraced. This is the quintessential Swedish blue — very light and ethereal, as if you're floating in a cloud. A high concentration of mineral pigments reflects more light, so the blue feels layered and translucent, as if it's not a solid color at all." —Rhonda Eleish

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Sherwin-Williams Only Natural SW 7596

"I love Swedish style, but I like it mixed with more modern furniture to give it a twist. And the walls would be the color of bleached oak — a warm white with a blush to it. Then I'd add a little contrast with blackish gray or smoky mauve fabrics and an abaca rug. Whether you see it in candlelight, firelight, or daylight, the room would be radiant." —Tori Golub

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Farrow & Ball Blue Gray 91

"This is one of those indeterminate colors that hovers somewhere between gray and green, though interestingly, it looks a lot more blue in a well-lit room. It's so nuanced that it's difficult to categorize, which is why I find it appealing. Pair it with creamy whites and, for those who dare to broaden the boundaries of typical Swedish decor, not-quite black." —Shea Soucie

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C2 Paint Pavement C2-988

"It's the color of stone, a soft gray with a touch of blue. Swedish houses are actually unbelievably colorful, but none of the colors are brilliant. It's as if somebody splashed ocher into every paint can, so the colors are muted and toned down. You seem to be seeing them by candlelight or under a brilliant sun." —John Danzer

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Donald Kaufman Color DKC-67

"The need for light is so inherent to the Scandinavian lifestyle. I've entered many manor homes during the dark days of winter to find everything white and light and lit by white candles. Nothing could be 'colder' and yet so cozy at the same time. It's magical. This happens to be one of those great whites that reflects light and changes constantly." —Jill Dienst

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Farrow & Ball Skylight 205

"This is a powdery blue with some earth in it, and that warms up the color. I love the combination of blue and brown. It's calming. I'd even use it in a living room, with mahogany furniture and natural linen. And then I'd go all the way to black somewhere and all the way to white — it doesn't have to be in large quantities — so you have the full spectrum." —William Cummings

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Sherwin-Williams Sleepy Blue SW 6225

"People walk into this living room and go straight to the window and the view of Long Island Sound. I wanted to bring the outside in, and this is a very natural color — one of those Swedish blue-grays that's like an overcast sky. Put a strong, saturated color like tangerine next to it for an unforgettable combination." —Eileen Kathryn Boyd

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Sherwin-Williams Sensible Hue SW 6198

"I fall in love with two or three grays every year. This one is very pure — it doesn't go blue or green or purple. I like gray because it has the ability to disappear and let you focus on what's in front of it. Some people say that about white, but for me, white is too bright. Gray is soft. It fills a space and makes it feel comfortable." —Laura Bohn

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Donald Kaufman Color DKC-6

"Blue can be cold or cloying, but this captures the feeling of a Swedish sky at the summer solstice. There's a luminous brightness, an almost silvery sheen. This paint has more pigments in it than the typical brands, and each reflects a different color so it changes with the light throughout the day." —Jayne Michaels

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Farrow & Ball Pavilion Gray 242

"When I was in Sweden, the restaurants and homes always had a lot of candles burning. It's all very inviting and creates this wonderful atmosphere that works so well with pale gray walls and light Gustavian furniture. And then you have that dramatic backdrop of the deep blue sea and the huge blue sky." —Sara Story